Many surface treatment techniques exist and, in particular, techniques for cleaning polluted surfaces, which are based on a chemical or physical interaction between the surface to be treated and an agent that is projected on that surface at a more or less high speed.
These primarily concern techniques that consist of projecting:                a pressurized liquid such as water, organic solvent, or nitrogen, possibly in combination with ultrasounds, or a gas such as compressed air; or        an abrasive—i.e. a product assuming the form of finely divided solid particles—alone or in a liquid vector (typically water) or gas vector (typically compressed air); or        particles of a chemical entity that, under normal temperature and pressure conditions (25° C., 1 atmosphere), is more stable in gas form than in other forms, this entity typically being carbon dioxide that is projected in solid state (i.e. in the form of dry ice) or in supercritical state and that goes directly from that state to the gaseous state (i.e. without going through the liquid state); or        electromagnetic radiation of the laser beam or microwave type, which results in causing a brutal change of the physical parameters of the surface to be treated, such as its temperature, which leads to the vaporization and dispersion of said surface.        
Regardless of the technique used, the user may wish, in particular in the context of cleaning a polluted surface, to recover the waste produced by the surface treatment either to analyze the waste, for example to determine its size or composition, or to prevent it from being redeposited on the surface to be treated or from contaminating the environment of that surface, for example if the waste is toxic or radioactive.
Techniques based on the projection of a liquid or an abrasive in a liquid medium make it possible to fairly easily recover the waste generated by the surface treatment, since the liquid that flows from the treated surface naturally tends to bring said waste with it. However, the volumes of liquid used and, therefore, of effluent produced are generally substantial and the operations necessary to isolate the waste from the rest of the effluent, for example if one wishes to analyze it, are expensive. Moreover, interactions inevitably occur between the waste and the liquid that result in physically and/or chemically modifying this waste and, as a result, distorting the analysis thereof.
In the case of techniques based on the projection of a gas, an abrasive in a gaseous medium, carbon dioxide in solid or supercritical state, or electromagnetic radiation, the waste produced by the surface treatment is generally conveyed in a gas flow that is led towards a fibrous or electrostatic filter in which this waste is retained. However, the use of a gaseous flow to convey the waste does not prevent part of said waste from being redeposited on the treated surface due to the turbulence generated. Moreover, the filters used at this time must be subjected to relatively heavy treatments if one wishes to extract the waste from them for analysis.
Furthermore, regardless of whether the waste is recovered in a liquid flow or a gas flow, this recovery is based, in most systems, on an aspiration of said flow. However, such systems are difficult to use in certain mediums and, in particular, in confined or cramped mediums, as well as under certain working conditions such as depression (vacuum) or high temperature conditions. Moreover, the aspiration noticeably increases the risk of the waste losing its physical integrity and, as a result, distorting the analysis thereof.
The inventor therefore aimed to provide a surface treatment method that is, in general, free from all of the aforementioned drawbacks.
More specifically, the inventor aimed to provide a surface treatment method making it possible to collect all of the waste produced by this treatment, while keeping the physical and chemical characteristics of said waste intact so as to guarantee the reliability of the analyses to which they are likely to be subjected later.
She also aimed for the method to be applicable to all types of surfaces, irrespective of their nature, size and state, and to be able to be implemented in all types of environments and conditions, in particular pressure and temperature.
She also aimed for this method to be easy to use, not require heavy or expensive equipment, and to have implementation costs compatible with industrial requirements.
She also aimed to provide a device that makes it possible to carry out this method.